Columns

Washington’s oddest couple are about to inflict terrible pain. Good

There have been times in my marriage when a dispute (usually about dog hair
retrieval, where sponges go after the washing up or the ubiquity of casually
abandoned boxer shorts) gets intractable.

We haven’t been to couples therapy and after nine years of cohabitation we
have our ways of compromise. We talk it through. He’ll do the laundry; I’ll
walk the dogs. We’re not perfect, but we keep the show on the road.

Which makes us slightly more mature than the men and women elected by
Americans to run their government. Their bipartisan marriage in Congress is
so dysfunctional that they have basically stopped talking. They avoid eye
contact; they slam doors; they leave the room when an argument gains
traction.

Last week saw a pathetic attempt to filibuster a nominee to be defence
secretary. It has happened only twice before in almost 300 years and never
at a worse